Hospital doctors told Pennsylvania State Police at Bethlehem that she suffered blunt force injuries to her abdomen and back during the attack that caused internal bleeding and, ultimately, her death at 1:11 a.m. today, records say.

After an autopsy, the county coroner ruled her death a homicide.

Police say James Albright grabbed his 54-year-old spouse by the arm, dragging her down stairs to the basement of a home in the 7100 block of Herber Street that property records show they bought together in 1985.

In the basement, he used zip ties to bind Carol Albright to a support beam, records say. He choked and kicked his wife, but it's not clear whether that happened before or after she was tied up, records say.

At some point, the victim called 911 and told him she'd done so, records say. James Albright then cut the zip ties off her wrists and went upstairs to put his guns in a safe, records say.

When police arrived, Carol Albright told them her husband had kicked her -- once in the abdomen and twice in the back --and complained of severe pain before being taken by ambulance to he hospital, records say.

The victim said she was asleep on the couch when the attack began, records say. James Albright said he and his wife were arguing because she wouldn't seek unspecified treatment after he'd made arrangements for her at a rehabilitative center in Allentown, records say.

Albright said he tried to get her up to go at 8 a.m., but she refused and he left the house to attend a chiropractic appointment, records say. He stopped by the bank, returned home, lay down for a while and then attempted a second time to rouse his wife, records say.

James Albright alleges she then cursed at him and that's when the deadly assault began, records say.

The suspect would later tell police he doesn't remember kicking Carol Albright, but that he choked her, records say. Also, he recalled her back and buttocks hitting the basement stairs as he dragged her down them, records say.

One of the Albrights' neighbors, Dale DeHaven, said he recently spoke with police about the couple, but declined to elaborate. Another neighbor, Janet Bieber, said she and her husband know the Albrights and were saddened by news of Carol's death and James' arrest.

"We have no idea what happened...We keep to ourselves," Bieber said. "We know them and say 'hello' when we see them on the street."